"Justice for everyone is something this nation can't call it's own. Justice existing, particularly for black people in the system as we see it, is not right. And we know that. We've made a plea for that. Not in this current environment, but as long as this nation has been in existence."

West said the protest has gotten off track because the focus has been on the anthem and the flag and that's not what it is about.

"You're upset not at what he's doing, but you know that the lessons that he's teaching are reverberating more than your hate," he said. "That's what is getting folks so up in arms about him."

West said that he disagrees with the notion that NFL ratings are down because of the protests. He said he knows people who are NFL fans who aren't watching for the opposite reason.

"One part that I think is being overlooked and is being dismissed is the impact of them not hiring or getting Colin Kaepernick in the league," West said. "We know he should be on somebody's roster.

"But what they're discounting is that people aren't watching the NFL because of the way they are treating Colin Kaepernick. That is a real thing. There are a lot of people who have stopped watching football, who are not going to games."

29. Chicago Bulls (2-9) | Last week: 28 - The Bulls were trounced on Saturday night by the Spurs, who were without six players and three starters. Eight San Antonio players scored in double figures, including household names like Brandon Paul, Bryn Forbes, Davis Bertans and Kyle Anderson. Darren Abate, AP

27. Sacramento Kings (3-9) | Last week: 30 - Sacramento followed up two impressive wins — one against Oklahoma City, the other against Philadelphia — with a 27-point drubbing at the hands of the Knicks. Behold ... Kings basketball. Andres Kudacki, AP

26. Phoenix Suns (5-9) | Last week: 25 - Devin Booker and TJ Warren each scored 35 points in Phoenix's win over Minnesota on Saturday, the first time two Suns teammates scored 35 or more points since Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire did so in 2008. Jennifer Stewart, USA TODAY Sports

25. Brooklyn Nets (5-8) | Last week: 26 - Early reports indicate that D'Angelo Russell avoided a major knee injury in Saturday night's loss to Utah — comforting news for a Nets team that lost Jeremy Lin for the season on opening night. Troy Wayrynen, USA TODAY Sports

24. Charlotte Hornets (5-7) | Last week: 18 - The good news for the Hornets, who are in a four-game tailspin? Starting shooting guard Nicolas Batum is on the verge of returning from the elbow injury that has kept him sidelined since early October. Streeter Lecka, Getty Images

23. Los Angeles Lakers (5-8) | Last week: 22 - Lonzo Ball's shooting struggles are amplified by the spotlight, but other aspects of his game — he's already the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double and ranks second among rookies in assists and rebounds — have given fans a glimpse of his true potential. Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports

22. Indiana Pacers (6-8) | Last week: 19 - Domantas Sabonis, once viewed on the wrong side of the Paul George trade, is leading the Pacers in plus-minus (plus-2.9), rebounds (9.8 per game) and field goal percentage (63%). Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports

21. Utah Jazz (6-7) | Last week: 17 - It's a small sample size, sure, but Derrick Favors shined in his first game as Utah's starting center in Rudy Gobert's absence, putting up 24 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in a win over Brooklyn on Saturday. Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

20. Los Angeles Clippers (5-7) | Last week: 13 - The Clippers have been without Patrick Beverley for two games, Danilo Gallinari for three and Milos Teodosic since the second game of the season. But as losers of five consecutive games and seven of their last eight, this team's issues go deeper than the injury bug. Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports

19. Miami Heat (6-7) | Last week: 24 - Dion Waiters made headlines after his dive to the floor in Friday night's win left Utah's Rudy Gobert with a bone bruise in his right leg. Gobert, who's expected to miss at least four weeks with the injury, dubbed the play as dirty, to which Waiters responded, “I’ve never been a dirty player in my life. I went for the ball. Tell him to get out of his feelings." Jennifer Stewart, USA TODAY Sports

18. Philadelphia 76ers (6-6) | Last week: 14 - Since joining the starting lineup, last season's Rookie of the Year runner-up Dario Saric is averaging 14 points and six rebounds and the Sixers have won five of seven games. Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

17. Cleveland Cavaliers (6-7) | Last week: 23 - LeBron James, who turns 33 in December, is averaging a league-high 38.3 minutes per game — his highest mark since the 2010-11 season with Miami. Add in his ailing left ankle and you can't help but wonder: Is he being run into the ground? David Richard, USA TODAY Sports

16. Milwaukee Bucks (6-6) | Last week: 20 - The addition of Eric Bledsoe led to a move to the bench for 2016-17 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, which the Bucks hope will help bolster their second unit in the long run. Tannen Maury, EPA

15. New York Knicks (7-5) | Last week: 16 - You have to admire how the Knicks took exception to LeBron James' comments that the team should have drafted Mavs rookie Dennis Smith Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick instead of Frank Ntilikina.
“I don’t know why he made those comments,” star big man Kristaps Porzingis said. “But all I can say is we love Frank." Elsa, Getty Images

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (6-7) | Last week: 12 - The recent play of Paul George — he has a combined 79 points on 25-of-44 shooting, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and five steals in Oklahoma City's past two games — has given fans a much-needed sigh of relief. Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports

13. Portland Trail Blazers (6-6) | Last week: 6 - Portland has lost all six games this season by an average of 5.3 points, the lowest in the league. Two of those losses (Memphis, Los Angeles Clippers) were decided by one point. Craig Mitchelldyer, USA TODAY Sports

12. New Orleans Pelicans (7-6) | Last week: 15 - The Pelicans are on the right track, but they need more consistency out of Jrue Holiday. The $126-million man followed up Thursday's 34-point, 11-assist outing with six points and seven turnovers on Saturday. Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports

11. Orlando Magic (8-5) | Last week: 11 - The Magic have come back down to earth a bit, losing three of their last five, but have nonetheless been one of the league's biggest surprises throughout the early portion of the season, ranking in the top 10 in both offensive and net rating, three-pointers made and three-point percentage. Jennifer Stewart, USA TODAY Sports

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (7-5) | Last week: 4 - Just when things started looking up for the T'Wolves, they dropped two consecutive games, the second of which came on Saturday against a Phoenix team that entered the night on a five-game losing streak. Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports

9. Memphis Grizzlies (7-5) | Last week: 7 - Mike Conley, who's dealing with a sore left Achilles, has the lowest shooting percentages (39.7% from the field, 31.4% from three) of his 11-year career, but coach David Fizdale is confident that the star point guard will "get his legs underneath him and will get rolling.” Steve Dykes, USA TODAY Sports

8. Washington Wizards (7-5) | Last week: 9 - Otto Porter Jr. — one of just two NBA players (Aaron Gordon) averaging at least 16 points on 55% shooting from the field and 50% from three — is proving to be worth every bit of that four-year, $106.5-million contract he signed over the summer. Tom Szczerbowski, USA TODAY Sports

7. Toronto Raptors (7-5) | Last week: 10 - Could Kyle Lowry, who has scored 17 or more points on 52.7% shooting in his last three games after an uncharacteristically cold start to the season, be headed back to his All-Star ways? Dan Hamilton, USA TODAY Sports

6. Denver Nuggets (8-5) | Last week: 21 - Emmanuel Mudiay, who has struggled with his shot early on in his career, is shooting 42.3% from the field and 46.9% from beyond the arc — significant improvements over his first two seasons. David Zalubowski, AP

5. San Antonio Spurs (8-5) | Last week: 8 - Kawhi Leonard, who has been sidelined since before the preseason with right quadriceps tendinopathy, is "coming along more slowly" than injured teammate Tony Parker, according to coach Gregg Popovich. Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports

4. Detroit Pistons (10-3) | Last week: 5 - Winners of five in a row and eight of their last nine, it's time to start taking these Pistons seriously. Tobias Harris is playing like an All-Star, Andre Drummond is leading the league in rebounds (15.6 per game) and Avery Bradley has "changed" Detroit's demeanor, says coach Stan Van Gundy. Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports

1. Boston Celtics (12-2) | Last week: 1 - This should come as no surprise. The Celtics, who are riding a 12-game winning streak and are already 5 1/2 games ahead of Cleveland, are the real deal. Bob DeChiara, USA TODAY Sports